San Antonio Spurs: Consistency Needed From Danny Green

The San Antonio Spurs currently find themselves locked in a difficult battle with the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. This series is the radiant supernova in a sky filled with dimly lit stars that just cannot compare. Forgive me, I saw Interstellar this weekend.

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Enough about space, lets get back to basketball. After four games nothing has been decided, while every other series seems to be carrying on despite the outcome being a foregone conclusion (even if the Hawks have decided to play with their food before eating it). The series currently sits tied up at 2-2 as it prepares to shift back to Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

The Spurs had the good fortune of playing Game 4 at home after stealing Game 2 in Los Angeles and winning Game 3 easily. While watching Game 4 you got the feeling that if the Spurs could just eke out the victory, the series would be theirs for the taking.

The Clippers had other ideas.

Led by Chris Paul‘s 34 points, and a 20-point, 19-rebound performance from Blake Griffin, the energized Clippers evened up the series with a 114-105 victory. Their much-maligned bench even stepped up in a time of need.

Austin Rivers somehow shot 7-for-8 from the floor, scoring 16 points while absolutely abusing poor Patty Mills and Jamal Crawford was his usual super-sub self scoring 15 points in 29 minutes.

Despite more domination from Kawhi Leonard (26 points and seven rebounds), the Spurs struggled from three-point range (6-for-25) and could not match the energy of the Clippers. Just like that the momentum had shifted and this unpredictable series reminded NBA fans why it is the delicious main course of the first round.

The series is now up for grabs. I’ll stick with my prediction of the Spurs winning in seven games, but for the first time I’m filled with doubt. The Clippers have come to play and they will not go down easily.

Something that would help San Antonio’s cause would be consistency from shooting guard Danny Green. Green has had a tumultuous series, looking like a potent deep threat one night and abysmal the next.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel averaged 11.7 points per game during the regular season and made 41.8 percent of his three-pointers, while also developing into a vital part of the Spurs starting lineup. By all accounts he has had a very good season.

Green helps put the space in “pace and space” with his exceptional long range shooting, but that spacing has been noticeably absent sometimes this postseason. In two out of the four games against the Clippers he’s failed to make a positive impact. In fact he’s been downright harmful.

He started Game 1 with a concerning 2-for-11 shooting night, scoring six points while adding in a pair of turnovers.

In Games 2 and 3, Green turned things around significantly. Through those two games, both Spurs wins, he shot a combined 6-for-10 from deep, scoring 20 points. In Game 4 he turned back into a pumpkin. In the 114-105, loss Green missed all six of his shots and failed to record a single point.

There’s an obvious trend developing in the series. When Green, and the team as a whole, make their three-pointers they come out on top. When they go cold, they lose. Things are never quite that simple, but getting him back to his sweet-shooting ways would certainly be beneficial.

When Green made 40 percent of his three-pointers or more the Spurs went 31-14 this season. When he made less than 30 percent that record fell to 18-10. Not a huge difference in winning percentage, but a difference nonetheless. Similarly, the Spurs as a team shoot 34.5 percent from three-point range in losses and 38.9 percent in wins.

Live by the three and die by the three, as ornery television analysts like to grumble.

As for Danny Green, even when he’s not knocking down shots he still provides value with his stellar defense, but the Spurs cannot afford another 0-for-6 showing. Is Game 5 the game he turns it around for good? Unlikely if you consider how he has shot on the road in 2014-15.

Green has been a far better shooter at home this season, making 47 percent of his three-pointers in San Antonio compared to 35.4 percent on the road.

So far in this series it’s been a classic case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for Green with very little middle ground. Can Green step up and help the Spurs avoid going down 3-2? Kawhi Leonard can’t do it all by himself. If Green and a few others don’t turn it around San Antonio may be staring at a fate they aren’t so used to during the Tim Duncan era; a first-round playoff exit.

With the futures of Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Gregg Popovich uncertain the current Spurs dynasty may be coming to an end at the conclusion of this postseason. Watch them now before it’s too late.

One thing, however, is certain. The last three games of this series are going to be worth watching.

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